Personal equipment for carrying purposes.



J. A. PUGH.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT FOR CARRYING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZI. 1916.

1,230,025 Patented J une 12, 1917.

2 SHEETSSIIEET I G. E. MIHFIELDKL F. H. NULLMEYER.

MACHINE-F6 MOHING CABLES. PERSONAL EQUWMMTWFFMIERYJMINWQSES 1,230,008. mm mm m Patented June 12, 1917. 1,230,025. Patented Juqve lflfil fiflz- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES JAMES ALFRED PUGH, OF CARDIFF, WALES.

- PERSONAL EQUIPMENT FOR CARRYING PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J upe 12, 1917.

Application fiIed September 21, 1916. Serial No. 121,492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ALFRED PU'GH, a sub ect of the King of England, residing in Cardifi, Wales, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Personal Equip ments for Carrying Purposes, of which t following is a speclfication. This invention relates to improvements 1n personal equipment for carrying puroses and has for its object to protect the ody of the wearer and give easy carriage to any weights which may be carried.

According to this invention there is provided, for personal wear, a pneumatic pad or system of pads attached'to a garment of the wearer in such manner as to support the load carried by the wearer. It is particularly applicable for use in combination with harness, such as a military web equipment, but it will be appreciated that it may also be used in other circumstances.

In a preferred arrangement, the invention takes the form of a system of pneumatic pads comprising two pads adapted to rest one on each shoulder and flexible tubes, preferably fitted with non-return valves, whereby the ma be inflated when in osition; a thir pad arranged at the small of the back of the wearer may also be provided together with a flexible tube or tubes for in ating it. For example it may be connected by separate tubes to each of the smaller ads.

According to another feature of the invention the pads or any of them are ventilated by corrugating the side which faces the body of the wearer, so as to permit the free circulation of air.

The accompanying drawings show one arran ement of the invention;

Figure 1 shows the complete system,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line X-Y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a back view showin the application of this invention to a military tunic.

Referring to the drawings, pdp indlcate two small pads which are mten ed to rest on the shoulders of the wearer. Tubes t t are attached to these pads at one end and fitted with mouth-pieces M M through which the pads may e inflated. Preferably these mouth-pieces are fitted with non-re-- turn valves, but any other type of valve may be used.

The small pads 79 p are each connected by a tube T to a large pad P which is adapted to rest on the back of the wearer at or near the waist. This large pad is inflated by means of the tubes T, the necessary air passing through the smaller pads 20.

As above stated the pads are corrugated to provide ventilation, and the arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 as applied to the pad P. The lines a c on Figs. 1 and 2 show the positions of the de ressions formed in one surface of the pa P. These depressions may be formed in any convenient manner, as for example by securing one wall of the pad to the opposite wall, so that when it is inflated the wall bulges outward between the depressions. These corrugations are formed on the side of the pad which lies against the wearers body so as to provide assages permitting the circulation of air etween the pad and the wearers body.

These pads are preferably inclosed in pockets formed in or on a garment of the wearer; when this invention is used with a military Web equipment the pockets are formed in the service jacket or tunic, one pocket being situated at each shoulder and one on the back just above and clear of the waist-belt. The pockets are so disposed that when the pack is placed upon the soldiers back the whole weight of the equipment rests on the pads, that is to say on the pads on the shoulder and on the pad at the back. The pads are made of ru her or other suitable material and are inflated by blowing in at the mouth-pieces M M or by means of a pump.

The pads can, if required, be attached separately or jointly to any part of the equipment or clothes either on the inside or on the outside. The connecting tubes to the pads are carried over each shoulder and are of sufficient length to be easily raised to the mouth when it is desired to inflate the pads.

The tubes can length and size so can alleviate pressure or an part of the equipment on the wearer.

There may also be provided a. neumatic tube fixed inside the waist-belt, eing carried in a pocket fastened to the belt by loops or any other convenient means. This pad is referably corrugated in the manner above escribed.

It will be appreciated that by the use of these pneumatic pads the equipment is kept away from the body and air is allowed to if desired be given any as to constitute pads which friction caused by pass freely between the body and the equipment thereon.

The body is thus kept cool, and; at the same time friction by the close and tightly fitting straps on the shoulder andr'waist-belt is avoided. The pads the burden carried and' give loose and on fettered use of the arms, since there is no pressure of shar edges of the equipment against the shou ders. Finally, onli one size of. this apparatus is required to t any wearer.

It has before been proposed to )rovide inflated cushions: in garments for tie purpose of'serving as floats tokeep the wearer afloat when in the water, but such cushions were disposed across the back and chest of the wearer, and it will be appreciated that the present invention difiers entirely from such arrangements, although it is one of Copies of: this patent may be obtained for.

also give elasticity tothe advanta es of the present invention that the device a so serves as a float in addition to its main function as above set forth.

What I claim as in invention and desire to secureby Letters i 'etent is:-

Personal equipment comprising a matic waist-belt, a pneumatic bac r-pad parallel with the Waist-belt, two pneumatic shoulder-pads, all corrugated on that one of their faces which is presented toward the wearer in use, and air-pies connecting the back-pad with the waist sit and with the shoulder-pads respectively.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- JAMES ALFRED PUGH.

Witnesses:

Wmnmrr J. PERKINS, Fnonnnon H. LITTLE.

neu

five cents each, by addressing, the qommissioner ofPetents,

Washington, 1). 0. 

